Pair Up with La Sommelierre - October 2010
Hungarian Halloween
Every year I have a party on Halloween and make a big pot of soup. This year I wanted to pay homage to my Hungarian mother. In Hungary, the soup or stew is called gulyás. In English, we say goulash. Any way you say it, it is delicious.
A classic Hungarian salad incorporates cucumber, sour cream and dill. I have modified the recipe to make the salad into an appetizer that is easy to pick up with your hands. The bright freshness of the cucumber and dill call out for a wine that has good acidity, plenty of fruit flavor and is not too heavy. Cserszegi Fűszeres is hard to say but easy to drink. It makes a lovely white wine with notes of lychee & lemon curd on the nose and has the right acid and body for the delicate appetizer.
When everyone has come in from the cold business of gathering candy, Goulash Soup is hearty and warming. Add some coarsely chopped tomato and red or green bell peppers with the potatoes if you want to up the veggie portion of the dish. Egri Bikavér is Hungary’s most famous red wine. It is a blend of grapes like Kadarka and Kékfrankos. Rich and rustic it will stand up to the big flavors of the soup.
To end the party, each year we open a bottle of Vin du Bugey-Cerdon. It is the perfect wine to pair with the super sweet chocolates and candies that are leftover from the “handout” bowl (my kids won’t part with their hoard). It is sweet, pink and sparkling. Each of these wines may take a bit of searching to find but your efforts will be rewarded.
So, go on. Pair Up!
Find recipes online at www.lasommelierre.com
